Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Legal Matters

Except as described below, the Company is not presently involved in any material litigation arising outside the ordinary course of business. However, the Company is involved in routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, none of which the Company believes, individually or in the aggregate, taking into account existing reserves, will have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition, operating results or cash flows.

As previously disclosed, on August 1, 2019, the Company finalized a settlement with the SEC with respect to matters initially disclosed on February 8, 2016 relating to a review conducted by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors into certain accounting matters and the related conduct of certain former Company executives.

The Company believes that no additional governmental proceedings relating to these matters will be brought against the Company. The Company understands that the SEC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York are pursuing actions relating to these matters with respect to certain former employees. The Company remains obligated to advance funds to these former employees for legal and other professional fees pursuant to indemnification obligations and the amounts advanced are now in excess of the Company’s insurance coverage and are being funded by the Company. Under certain circumstances, the former employees are contractually obligated to reimburse the Company for such amounts advanced. However, it is possible that the Company may not be able to recover any or all of these amounts.

Insurance Captive

The Company has a wholly owned captive insurance company, Brixmor Incap, LLC (“Incap”). Incap underwrites the first layer of general liability insurance for the Company’s Portfolio. The Company formed Incap as part of its overall risk management program to stabilize insurance costs, manage exposure and recoup expenses through the function of the captive program. The Company has capitalized Incap in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements. An actuarial analysis is performed to estimate future projected claims, related deductibles and projected expenses necessary to fund associated risk management programs. Incap establishes annual premiums based on projections derived from the past loss experience of the Company’s properties. Premiums paid to Incap may be adjusted based on this estimate and may be reimbursed by the Company’s tenants pursuant to specific lease terms.

Activity in the reserve for losses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 is summarized as follows:


	Year End December 31,
	2020		2019
Balance at the beginning of the year	$	12,345	$	12,470

Incurred related to:
Current year	2,911		3,480
Prior years	(1,962)		(470)
Total incurred	949		3,010

Paid related to:
Current year	(141)		(500)
Prior years	(2,193)		(2,635)
Total paid	(2,334)		(3,135)

Balance at the end of the year	$	10,960	$	12,345

Environmental Matters

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, the Company may be or become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances released on or in the Company’s property or disposed of by the Company or its tenants, as well as certain other potential costs which could relate to hazardous or toxic substances (including governmental fines and injuries to persons and property). The Company does not believe that any resulting liability from such matters will have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition, operating results or cash flows. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the

Company did not incur any governmental fines resulting from environmental matters that were material in accordance with SEC rules.